


The One Who Leads

by SapphireCloud



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-04-19 22:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14246856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireCloud/pseuds/SapphireCloud
Summary: Mark Lee finds himself in a crossroads. He needs to take action in order to protect his team. The only way forward is one he would like to avoid.(Work inspired by The Boss MV)





	1. I'll Keep an Eye on You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Work in Progress.  
> All rights to NCT belong to SM Entertainment.  
> Also, this is based on characters in The Boss MV. Any resemblance to the real personality of the NCT members is intentional, but not intended to objectify the members, as they are real people with real lives.

 

Mark looked around the empty room, his face blank, all the thoughts racing through his mind kept carefully hidden. He had to be cautious, now more than ever. He’d come too far, the time was too close. A careless moment seen from the shadows could ruin everything. He had to appear poised, calm, and collected if he wanted this meeting to be successful. He needed to seem like a leader, no room for questioning.

 

Failure was not an option.

 

A knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts.

“Come in” he said.

 

A boy about Mark’s age came in. Tall and lean, his eyes gave an impression of innocence that contrasted an impish smile that suggested a playful personality.

 

“Lucas” Mark greeted him, with a slight nod.

 

“Mark” Lucas said, imitating the expression. He smirked, seemingly amused, and looking around the empty room, continued “well, you’ve certainly made yourself at home here for the past…2 years?”

 

Mark smiled. “Closer to 3 now. Haven’t seen much of a point in decorating thus far.” He paused, not sure of how much to reveal. _“Not much of a point in hiding what he already knows. Specially not if I want him on my side”_ he thought. He walked to the door, making sure nobody was around before closing it. “I didn’t spend enough time in this room that it was worth making it mine. I guess that will change soon.”

 

Lucas raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised at the honest confession. “You mean you’re leaving the academy?” he asked.

 

“I graduated. They won’t let me stay for much longer.” Mark explained.

 

“But…” Lucas paused, catching himself, then shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. His face became serious. “Why did you ask to speak to me?”

 

Mark stared directly at Lucas. “How did you find out?” he asked.

 

“Find out about what?” Lucas replied.

 

“Don’t play dumb, I know you know about them. How did you find out?” Mark’s voice took a deeper tone.

 

“I was curious where you and Haechan disappeared to so often. I asked around and Jaehyun told me about the youth academy. I never went to anything of the sort so I checked it out. Man, those security systems are no joke. Took me about 2 weeks to sneak in.” Lucas replied, and laughed loudly in amusement.

 

“You…got past security?” Mark asked in disbelief.

 

“Yeah.” Lucas shrugged. “I’m good at finding out things I want to find out. Then I saw you hanging out with some kids, so I went down again to meet them.They’re fun.”

 

Mark tensed. “Have you told anybody else about this?”

 

“Not yet.” Lucas stared. “Is it a secret?”

Mark looked down. “Nobody can know about them.” He looked up again. “Nobody, do you understand Lucas?”

 

“Oh, _the kids_ are a secret!” Lucas threw his head back as he laughed. “I thought you didn’t want anybody to know you still went to school. I mean, I get it man, studying sucks, but it seemed like a weird secret”

Mark’s mouth was slightly ajar in disbelief. _Is he for real?_ “Lucas, I’m serious. Nobody can know”

 

“About the kids, yeah, sure. OK. But see…I went there a couple of times. Somebody might ask me where I was.” Lucas was grinning widely.

 

“What do you want?” Mark asked.

 

“I want in.” Lucas said, still grinning.

 

Mark frowned slightly, taken aback. Was his plan so obvious? “In on what?” he asked, deciding to find out a bit more.

 

“You are planning something. I don’t know what yet, but I have been watching you. You are planning something and I want in”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why I have I been watching you or why do I want in?”

 

“Both”

 

Lucas shrugged, once more. “We’re the same age. I thought we should hang out so I was sort of stalking you to see if we could be friends. Then I met your group and they’re fun. This whole thing seems like fun. I want in”

 

Mark looked at Lucas, dumbfounded. Fun. He couldn’t decide if Lucas was insane or absolutely brilliant. Maybe a mix of both. Either way, this played straight into his plan. “OK. You’re in”

 

“Seriously!?” Lucas eyes widened. “I did NOT expect that to work. So…what are we planning?”

 

“You will find more later, after I discuss this with Haechan. First, you need to prove you’re really on our side.” Mark said.

 

“How?” Lucas asked.

 

“You said you’re good at finding things out.”

 

“When I want to be”

 

“I am going to be gone for a short time. In the meantime, I want you to be interested in finding out about Jungwoo. I want to know who he is connected to in the group and what his motive is” Mark instructed, and started walking towards the door.

 

“Then I’d be in for real?” Lucas asked, following him.

 

“Then I’ll consider you letting you in for real” Mark reached for the door handle.

 

“Then consider it done.” Lucas said, and smiling, he added “Boss.”

 

Mark looked up surprised, then smiled back.


	2. A fire revives a wilted flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious message leads Taeyong into an abandoned building to find a long-lost friend

Taeyong carefully made his way through the building. When something was abandoned for as long as this place obviously had been you never knew what damage it would have taken from looters over the years. The whole thing could be unstable and fall apart, for all he knew.

 

 _"Don't stop until you find a sign only we'll know"_. Could the message have been any more vague? And yet, here he was. He had not been expecting any messages. This could be a trap, if he was honest to himself, but he couldn't ignore it. It had been almost 2 years since the first five of them had awoken their 7th sense. Almost that long since his friend had disappeared, with no clue as to where he could've gone to. If there was a chance, any chance, that he'd found his way back....well, Taeyong had to try. 

 

Taeyong was turning a corner when something in the shadows caught his eye. On the far wall, a picture. Red lines on a yellow background that sharply contrasted the dark shades of grey of the ruined building. Rothko. 

 

_"Rothko and Claudel"_

_"What?"_

_"Isn't this sense like their paintings? Like a warm colored dream in the darkness. One you can't quite exist in."_

 

Rothko. 

The sign.

 

Taeyong walked to the painting. Behind it was a glimmer of light. A door? He lifted the painting and found a handle. Opening the door, he was surprised to see behind it a hallway to an old auditorium. This building must have been a theater, once upon a time. How fitting.

 

In front of the stage a hooded figure was waiting. 

 

"A different dream is getting closer" the figure said. 

 

"Now I understand, as if everything was mine" Taeyong responded.

 

"I knew you'd figure it out" the hooded figure said, as he removed his hood. Underneath was a boy, smiling.

 

Taeyong let out a deep sigh. He was alive. He made it back.

 

"Ten." 


End file.
